Loved One
by Olivsissweet
Summary: The Lucas family finds a broken and battered boy while on vacation. Can they give him a proper home? Nick-centered.
1. Chapter 1

"GET BACK HERE BOY!" my so-called father yelled as I ran down the street. I just kept running. "FINE BUT DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE A HOME WHEN YOU GET BACK!"

I didn't even look over my shoulder to see if my father was chasing me. I just continued to run as if my life depended on it…which it did. I clutched my teddy bear to my chest with my broken arm. My teddy was the only thing I had left of my mother besides her picture. I ran through the snow-filled neighborhood in nothing but my boxers. My arm was killing me and my lungs were begging for air but I just kept running. I willed my eight year old body to move faster as I ran down the street. I later found out that I ran two miles.

Suddenly I collided with a person. I screamed in pain as my broken arm broke my fall. My teddy flew out of my hands and I instantly went after it. Before I could get to it a hand grabbed it. I slowly looked up at the person who dared touch my teddy. It was a boy who seemed to be a few years older than me. He had brown eyes and raven-colored hair. I flinched as he approached me. I closed my eyes, expecting pain but it never came. I opened one eye and saw that my teddy was right in front of me. I instantly grabbed it and held it to my chest. Suddenly another pair of feet were in front of me. This was the feet of the person I ran into. I flinched as a hand reached out toward me, palm facing the sky.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the person whispered gently.

I realized the person was a boy who was older than the boy with brown eyes. I looked up at the boy. He had kind, green eyes and curly dark brown hair kind of like mine. His face was set in a kind but worried gaze as he looked at me. He probably saw all the scars and bruises on my body. I began to shiver from the cold. The boy noticed and made a move. I flinched but watched curiously as the boy took off his coat and handed it to me. I just stared at the coat, wondering if this was a trap.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the boy repeated. "Just take the coat. It will make you feel warmer."

I nodded and tentatively reached for the coat. I managed to put my right arm in the sleeve of the coat but my broken arm hurt too much to move. I allowed a few tears to fall as my arm hurt. I wrapped the coat around the rest of my body, finding comfort in its warmth. The boy with green eyes smiled at me.

"My name is Kevin," the boy said. "The boy who gave you your teddy is Joe, my little brother. What's your name?"

"N-N-Nick," I whispered, barely audible.

"It's nice to meet you Nick," Kevin said.

He crouched down so that he was at my level. I was still sitting on the pavement and looked around. I realized I was in front of a hotel.

"Hey Nick. I want to help you but you're going to have to trust me." I eyed Kevin warily. "Don't worry I won't hurt you, at least not on purpose. Can I touch you?"

I hesitated for a minute. Could I trust Kevin? He seemed friendly but that could just be a disguise. I looked into Kevin's eyes and knew that wasn't true. His eyes showed nothing but kindness and love toward me. I shivered again from the cold and finally nodded my head. Kevin smiled and slowly walked toward me. He kept his hands in front of him, letting me know that he wasn't going to hurt me. He gently touched my shoulder and I flinched. His warm hand felt good to my cold skin. I looked up at him and he saw the fear in my eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered kindly. "I just want to help you."

He did something I didn't expect him to do. He wrapped his arms around me and drew me close to him. I have never experienced this before, except maybe once when my mom was still alive. I tensed at the contact at first. Kevin wouldn't give up though. Three minutes later I relaxed in his arms, realizing that if he was going to hurt me, he would have already. I could feel Kevin smile as I relaxed. I still shivered but thanks to Kevin hugging me I wasn't as cold as I was earlier.

"Joe," Kevin said gently to the boy who gave me my teddy. "I want you to go inside and call Mom and Dad. Tell them that we found a boy who has been abused. Tell them he wears a size…" I felt Kevin lift the back of my boxers and read the tag. "…six in pants. Tell them that the boy needs clothes ASAP. Think you can do that?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Joe said as he saluted Kevin as if he was a general or something. I let a small smile creep on my lips and saw Joe smile back. "I made him smile!" Joe looked very proud of himself. "What are you going to do while I call them?"

"I'm going to carry Nick inside and get him warmed up," Kevin said.

"Okay," Joe said as he bounded inside the hotel.

"Can you trust me?" Kevin asked me. I looked up into his kind eyes which reminded me so much of my mother's eyes. I stared into his eyes and nodded. "Okay, I'm going to pick you up and carry you inside so you can warm up. Is that okay?"

I nodded again. Kevin carefully picked me up and I accidentally dropped my teddy.

"Teddy!" I cried out as I tried to reach it.

"I'll get him for you," Kevin said as he reached down and picked up my teddy.

I took my teddy out of Kevin's hand and held it close to me. Kevin smiled down at me and carried me bridal style into their hotel room. When we got inside their hotel room I heard Joe talking on the phone. Kevin set me down on one of the beds and looked at my broken arm. Then he started to leave.

"Don't leave!" I said without meaning to.

Kevin smiled. "I'll be right back, I promise," he said.

I nodded and allowed him to disappear from my view. It seemed like an eternity before he came back. I started crying because I thought he left me like my mom did. But he was true to his word. When he saw that I was crying he rushed to me.

"What's wrong Nick?" he asked.

"I th-thought y-you l-left l-like my m-mom did," I admitted.

"No, I promised I would be right back," Kevin said gently. "And here I am. It's okay; don't cry."

I curled up into a ball and held my teddy close to me. Kevin put down some things and then told Joe to keep an eye on me. Then he went outside. I waited worriedly for Kevin to return. I didn't want to be alone again, even though Joe was with me. I still didn't quite trust Joe yet. Soon, though, Kevin returned with two sticks. What was he going to do with them? Was he going to hurt me? Seeing my terror-stricken face, Kevin's eyes softened even more (if that was even possible).

"I'm not going to hurt you with the sticks," Kevin said. "I'm going to make a splint for your broken arm, okay?"

I nodded. I knew what a splint was. Mommy had said the name several times while she wrapped sticks and gauze around my broken fingers that I would get from Daddy hurting me. Kevin approached me carefully and helped me under the covers once he noticed hoe cold I still was. Then he asked me to hold out my broken arm. I did as I was told and hissed when Kevin touched it. He apologized and called Joe over. I tensed up as Kevin told Joe to hold the sticks in place while he wrapped gauze around my arm. I bit my lip as Kevin slowly and gently wrapped the gauze around my arm. Joe held the sticks firmly in place and was also gentle. Soon Kevin tied the ends of the gauze together and said we were done.

"You are very brave," Kevin said.

"Yeah," Joe agreed. "If I was you I would be crying like a baby."

I smiled a little at their attempts to make me feel better. It did work, though, I was feeling better. Kevin gave me a pain pill which I swallowed with some water. Then my stomach growled. Kevin smiled and headed up some soup. I can't even remember the last time I ate. Daddy never fed me. I would always have to sneak around at night in order to eat. Kevin put the bowl in front of me and saw the fear in my eyes.

"It's okay if you eat," Kevin said. "We won't hurt you."

Kevin seemed to read my mind. How did he do that? I carefully dipped the spoon in th bowl of soup and swallowed it. I closed my eyes and expected someone to hurt me but no one did. I looked at the two boys in front of me who looked at me with pity and kindness in their eyes. I started eating the soup a little faster since my hands had stopped shaking from the cold. Once I finished the soup Kevin took my bowl away and sat down on the bed next to me. I fought to keep my eyes open but having the warm soup in my belly was making it difficult. Kevin smiled when he saw how tired I was. He wrapped his arm around me and I flinched.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kevin said. "Why don't you get some sleep? Joe your teddy, and I will protect you while you sleep."

I nodded my head slowly and closed my eyes. I felt Kevin's warmth through the blankets and sighed. I laid my head on Kevin's chest and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kevin's POV:**

I felt terrible for the kid next to me. It was obvious he was abused by his parents. There were scars and bruises all over his body. I looked at the kid's face. He seemed so peaceful when he slept compared to when he was awake. The poor kid was afraid of everything. I wonder how he's gonna act toward my parents.

I felt Nick shiver beside me and carefully got under the covers. Nick stirred but didn't wake up. I could feel his cold skin through my clothes as I snuggled up next to him. He was freezing. Joe came over to Nick's other side and slowly got in the bed as well. Now Nick was in between us. Slowly, Nick began to warm up.

Suddenly our hotel door opened and our parents came in. I put my finger to my lips, telling them to be quiet. They got the message and quietly put the new clothes on the other bed. Mom came over and smiled when she saw Nick. His head was still on my chest and he was clutching his teddy bear. As Mom came closer she saw how beat up Nick was. She also saw his broken arm. Her hands flew to her mouth when she saw Nicks' scars and bruises. Dad smiled at the three of us in the bed together.

"What happened?" Mom whispered.

"He looked like he was running for his life Mom," I whispered. "His face was so pale and scared. He bumped into me and his teddy bear fell out of his hands. Joe picked it up and the boy flinched and closed his eyes, like he was expecting Joe to hurt him or something. Joe put the teddy bear in front of the boy and the boy snatched it. Then I came up to him and he looked at me. His eyes were filled with fear, Mom. It was terrible to see him so afraid. I was able to befriend him and told Joe to call you while I carried him inside to warm him up. I carried the boy inside and put him in the bed. Then I made a splint for his broken arm. Once I was done with that I heated up some soup for him. He ate like he hasn't been fed in days. He was afraid to eat at first and I think it's because someone would hurt him if he ate.

"I think his dad did this to him, Mom. He told me that his mom left him. His arm was already broken when he ran into me."

"Do you know what his name is?" Dad asked.

"Nick," I said. Mom and Dad walked a little closer to him. "I think you guys should stay back. he might feel intimidated by you guys. It took him a while to trust me and Joe so it might take him a while to trust you too."

"Okay," Mom said. "Why don't you wake him up so that he can put on some clothes?"

"Okay," I said. I lightly shook Nick as I said, "Nick, you need to wake up." Nick's eyes fluttered open and he jumped and looked around wildly. "Nick, it's okay. You're safe."

Nick relaxed when he heard my voice. Nick looked over at my parents and curled up even closer to me, hiding his face in my chest.

"It's okay," I said. "They're my parents; they won't hurt you, okay?" Nick nodded. "My parents bought you some clothes that you can wear. Want to put them on?"

Nick nodded. Joe got out of the bed so that Nick could get up. I helped Nick sit on the edge of the bed and grabbed some pajamas from the clothes my parents got him. I helped him put on the shirt and pants. Once Nick was dressed I put some socks on his feet since his toes were still freezing. Once the socks were on his feet, Nick continued to eye my parents with fear, even though my parents haven't moved from their spots. He seemed especially scared of my dad. Nick suddenly stood up and went to the bathroom. While he was gone I talked to my parents.

"I think he's mostly afraid of you, Dad," I said.

"Why?" Dad asked.

"Because his dad abuses him," Joe said. We all looked at him in shock. "What? It's pretty obvious since he said his mommy left him."

"Okay, I'll be sure to stay away from him until he warms up to me."

"Tom, what are we gonna do about him?" Mom asked. "If we just take him, it would be considered kidnapping."

"We have to ask him where he lives," Dad said. "Then we can file abuse charges toward his father."

"Okay," Mom said.

"Maybe I should ask him," I said. "He seems to trust me and Joe more that you guys right now."

"I think that's a good idea," Mom said.

Soon Nick came out of the bathroom and ran to me. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my stomach. He was terrified of my parents. I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back soothingly. Soon Nick calmed down and stopped shaking.

"Nick, can I ask you a question?" I asked. Nick nodded. "Do you know your address?"

Nick looked up at me in alarm. "Don't make me go back!" he whispered frantically. "He'll kill me!"

"We aren't sending you back," I said. "We just want to know so that we can put him in jail."

"Jail?" Nick said.

"It's where mean and bad people go," I said.

"Oh," Nick said. "I no know my address but I know my daddy's name."

"What's his name?" I asked.

"James Cartel," Nick said.

"Okay," I said. "Thank you for telling me. He will go to jail so that he will never hurt you again, okay?" Nick nodded and buried his face in my stomach again.

"We need to take him to the hospital," Mom said. "His arm needs a cast."

"Can we take him tomorrow?" I asked. "He seems to be tired."

Mom sighed. "Okay," she said. "But we will take him tomorrow, no exceptions."

"Okay," I said. Nick yawned. "Are you tired?" I asked him. He nodded. "Let's get you into bed. Is it okay if Joe sleeps with us?" Nick looked at Joe who smiled. Nick nodded. "Okay. Let's get you in bed."

I helped him climb onto the bed. Nick got settled under the covers while Joe and I got dressed in our pajamas. Then Joe and I got in bed with him so that he was in the middle. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and he snuggled up next to me. I said goodnight to my parents and Joe and watched Nick fall asleep. Soon my parents got in bed and turned off the light. Nick flinched when the light turned off and he snuggled up closer to me.

"It's okay," I whispered. "The dark isn't that scary. You're safe in between Joe and I. Try to get some sleep."

Nick nodded and rested his head on my chest. I smiled at him as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Joe wasn't too far behind him. Soon I closed my eyes and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day we took Nick to the hospital. When we woke up I helped Nick get dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt. Then I showed him his new toothbrush and watched him brush his teeth. He seemed a little new at brushing his teeth so I showed him how I brushed my teeth and he mimicked me.

Once we were all ready we went to the hospital. Nick was afraid to be in the car with my parents so I let him sit in between Joe and me. Once we got to the hospital I helped Nick out of the car. He had his teddy bear in his left hand and held my hand with his right hand. I led him into the hospital as my parents talked to the lady at the desk. Nick began to shake and Joe put his hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick flinched but when he saw it was Joe he relaxed.

"Follow me," a nurse soon said to us. We followed a nurse to an x-ray room. "I need you to sit on the table for me."

Nick looked at me with fear in his eyes. "It's okay," I said. "She's not going to hurt you. Do you want me to stand next to you?" Nick nodded. "Okay."

I walked over to the x-ray machine and stood next to him as he sat down.

"You're gonna have to let go of your teddy bear so I can x-ray your arm," the nurse said kindly. Nick looked up at me and I nodded. Nick put his teddy bear in his lap. "Good, now I'm going to take the gauze and sticks off of your arm, okay?" Nick nodded.

Once the nurse took everything off of his arm she placed his arm on the hard surface under the machine. Then the machine began to make noises and Nick jumped. I squeezed his right hand and he relaxed a little. Once the machine was done with his x-ray the nurse led us to a room. A few minutes later she returned with the x-ray pictures.

"It appears that his arm is broken in half," the nurse said. "What color cast do you want? We have green, red, black, blue…"

"Blue!" Nick said.

The nurse smiled. "Okay," she said. "I'll be right back."

As we waited Joe started making funny faces, trying to get Nick to laugh. Nick smiled but didn't' laugh. Soon the nurse came back and put the cast on Nick's arm.

"He will have to wear the cast for two months," the nurse said.

"Okay, thank you," Mom said.

"You're welcome," the nurse said.

My parents paid for the visit and we got in the car. We ate out for lunch. Nick seemed to have never been in a restaurant before. He looked around the restaurant in curiosity. He squeezed my hand when he saw all the people in here.

"It's okay," I said. "They won't hurt you."

Nick nodded but continued to hold my hand. We sat down and looked at the menus. Nick sat in between Joe and me because he was still afraid of our parents. Nick ordered spaghetti and Joe and I ordered hamburgers. After we ate we went shopping for more clothes for Nick. Nick was fascinated by all the clothes. I began to wonder if he ever wore any clothes.

Once we were done shopping we ate dinner. After we ate dinner we went back to the hotel. Then I realized I had no idea how old Nick was. He seemed to be a little younger than Joe but not too young. As we sat on our bed and turned on the TV I turned to Nick.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Eight," Nick said.

"I'm thirteen and Joe is eleven," I said.

"Okay," Nick said.

"What do you want to watch?" I asked.

"I no know," Nick said.

"Have you ever watched TV before?" Joe asked. Nick shook his head.

"I seen Daddy watch TV but he no let me watch it," Nick said.

"Oh," Joe said. "How about we watch Disney Channel?"

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"It's a channel just for kids," I explained.

"Okay," Nick said.

We watched Disney Channel for a while. Soon Nick got up and went to the bathroom. When he came back he got on between Joe and me and got under the covers. He hugged his teddy close to him and watched TV with us again.

"Nick," I said.

"Yeah?" Nick said.

"Why do you have that teddy with you?" I asked.

"Mommy gave it to me before she left," Nick said.

"Did she abandon you?" Mom asked, causing Nick to jump.

"It's okay," I said. "She won't hurt you."

"She no abandon me," Nick said. "She in Heaven."

"Oh," Mom said sadly. "I'm sorry.

"It's okay," Nick said. "She no longer sad."

"That's right," Mom said.

"Mommy said she would watch over me," Nick said. "I know she's with me all the time; I can feel her."

Soon it was time for bed. Mom and Dad would be talking to a lawyer tomorrow. We would also be going home tomorrow. Mom said we would be taking Nick with us since Social Services said it was okay. Social Services said they had checked on Nick once before but found nothing out of the ordinary. But now that Nick has a broken arm, the4y believe he is no longer safe with his father, which was fine with me. I've grown attached to Nick and I think Joe has too.

We got in bed together and Mom turned off the light. Nick snuggled up next to Joe this time. I was a little jealous but I let it go. After all, they were closer in age. Nick held his teddy bear close to him and fell asleep almost instantly. Soon Joe and I fell asleep too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Nick's POV:**

I will be going home with the Lucases today. They packed all of my new things for me and we got in the car. I sat in between Joe and Kevin. Joe started drawing pictures on some paper. Kevin just looked out the window. I held my teddy close to me, too afraid to speak. What if the adults hurt me if I speak? Daddy used to hurt me when I spoke out of turn. I held my teddy tighter when I thought about my Daddy hurting me. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped. I looked over and realized it was Kevin. Kevin smiled at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded. "Hey Joe, why don't you let him borrow your coloring book? That will keep him busy for a while."

"Okay," Joe said.

Joe handed me a book that had pictures in it. The pictures weren't colored. Kevin explained that I could color any picture I wanted. I looked through the book and decided to color and doggy. As I was coloring we went over a bump and I broke the crayon. I gasped and Joe and Kevin looked at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed quickly. I held my teddy bear in between me and Joe as if it could protect me. "Please don't hurt me!"

"We aren't going to hurt you," Kevin said gently.

"Yeah," Joe said. "It was an accident. Besides, I break my crayons all the time. It's okay. I don't care."

"Y-you don't?" I asked.

"Nope," Joe said. "I like the way you colored the dog by the way."

I smiled sheepishly. "Thanks," I said.

Joe smiled proudly. "You're welcome," he said.

We continued to color until we stopped for food. We got out of the car and Kevin held my hand as we went inside the restaurant. There were so many tall people that I felt overwhelmed. I looked up at Kevin and wished he could hold me. I know I'm a little old for someone to hold me but I was terrified.

"Kevin," I said nervously.

"It's okay Nick," Kevin said. "They aren't going to hurt you."

I nodded but still didn't feel comfortable. Suddenly a kid bumped into me, causing me to fall on the floor. My teddy fell out of my hands and I looked around for it.

"Watch where you're going!" a kid spat at me. I began to tremble as he picked up my teddy. "Aren't you too old for teddy bears?" I could feel tears welling in my eyes. "Awe, what's the matter."

"Leave him alone!" Kevin said. Kevin was older and bigger than the boy who was being mean to me. "Give him his teddy back! It's the only thing he has left of his mom!"

"Oh, uh, sorry," the boy said as he gave me my teddy bear back.

I sniffled as the boy walked away. Kevin bent down so that he was at my level.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded. "Let's go find my parents and Joe."

We found them at a table and ate dinner. After dinner we got back in the car and continued to drive to their house. I began to get tired. I was afraid to lean on Kevin because he could get mad and might hurt me. But if he had wanted to hurt me, he would've hurt me by now. I looked up at him and tried to keep my eyes open. Kevin looked down at me and smiled. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew we had stopped. I opened my eyes and looked out the window. We were at some old firehouse. Kevin got out of the car and helped me out of the car. I held Kevin's hand as we approached the firehouse. Mrs. Lucas unlocked the door and we went inside.

"You live here?" I asked in amazement.

"Yep," Kevin and Joe said proudly.

"Let me show you where you'll be staying," Kevin said.

Kevin took my hand and led me up the stairs. I gasped when I saw the room. There were musical instruments all over the room. There was a rack full of guitars, there was a keyboard and a drum set. There was also a recording studio in the corner of the room. the room took up the entire space of the second floor. Nick stared at it in awe. Kevin led Nick over to a bunk bed.

"You'll be sleeping on the bottom bunk," Kevin said. "Joe's bed is over there."

He pointed to another corner of the room where I saw a bed. I nodded and continued to look around the room. I walked over to the keyboard and played a sad tune on it. Kevin and Joe watched me as I moved my fingers on the black and white keys. I then opened my mouth and began to sing softly.

There's a man dying on the side of the road  
Won't make it home tonight  
He was driving fast on his cell phone  
That's how he lived his life  
And while he was hangin' by a thread  
these were the final words he said

[Chorus]  
My girl turns sweet sixteen today  
She's beautiful, so beautiful  
It might get rough sometimes  
But I hope she keeps her faith.(hope she keeps her faith)  
I wish I grabbed a chance to say to her  
Life is too short so take the time and appreciate

There's a women crying on the kitchen floor  
She got a call tonight  
Now she's trembling outside her daughter's door  
Walks in and holds her tight  
Wondering how and where to start  
Is there a way to shield her heart?

[Chorus]  
My girl turns sweet sixteen today  
She's beautiful, so beautiful  
It might get rough sometimes but I hope she keeps her faith.(hope she keeps her faith)  
I wish I grabbed the chance to say to her  
Life is too short so take the time and Appreciate

Any but a loving way  
get hurt along the way  
Don't be afraid to open up  
And use the time you have before it fades  
Show your love today

[Chorus]  
My girl turns sweet sixteen today  
She's beautiful, so beautiful  
it might get rough sometimes  
but I hope she keeps her faith.(hope she keeps her faith)  
I wish I grabbed  
chance to say to her  
Life is too short so take the time and appreciate  
Life is too short so take the time and appreciate

When I finished singing it was silent. Then Kevin and Joe began to clap. I blushed and grabbed my teddy that I left on the top of the keyboard. Kevin came up to me and gave me a hug.

"That was amazing!" Kevin said. "You have a great voice!"

"That wasn't just amazing," Joe said. "That was AWESOME!"

"Where did you learn to play the piano like that?" Mrs. Lucas asked, causing me to jump.

"M-my mommy," I whispered.

Mrs. Lucas nodded. "You have a beautiful voice," she said.

"Th-thank you," I whispered.

"This kid is talented!" Mr. Lucas said. "You HAVE to sing for this record label I know."

"NO!" I shouted.

I ran from everyone and sat down in a corner. I drew my knees to my chest and held my teddy tightly. Tears began to flow down my cheeks as I had a flashback.

_"You WILL sing boy!" Daddy yelled at me. "Whether you like it or not!"_

_"B-but I don't want to sing for those people," I whimpered. "They're mean."_

_"I don't care!" Daddy said. He grabbed my hair and punched me in the stomach. "You WILL sing to them! Got it?"_

_"I-I don't w-want to," I said._

_Daddy slapped me. "I can't believe you are disobeying me!" he shouted. "No dinner for you tonight!"_

_He dropped me down on the floor and began to kick me. He kicked and kicked until I lost consciousness._

I was snapped out of reality by two hands that were wrapping around me. I screamed and tried to get away but the arms held onto my tightly. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain. The pain never came. I opened my eyes and looked at the person who was holding me. It was Kevin. I buried my face in his chest and cried. I cried for a long time. When I finally stopped crying Kevin gave me a gentle squeeze.

"Why don't you want to sing?" Kevin asked.

"B-because D-Daddy used to force m-me to sing in f-front of his mean friends," I said softly. "They w-would hit m-me if they d-didn't like my s-singing. D-Daddy k-kicked me until I p-passed out one n-night. Ever since th-then, I haven't sung."

"We don't' want to force you to sing," Kevin said gently. "If you don't want to sing, then you don't have to sing, okay?"

I nodded and sniffled. Kevin continued to hold me as I calmed down. I continued to look at Mr. Lucas, afraid he would hurt me for yelling or crying. But he didn't make a move toward me. Mrs. Lucas went downstairs to fix dinner.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Lucas said. "I didn't mean to scare you. If you don't want to sing, then you don't have to."

I nodded my head and Mr. Lucas smiled at me. Joe came over and joined the group hug. Mr. Lucas went downstairs to unpack. About thirty minutes later dinner was ready. We ate dinner then I took a shower. After I showered I got in the bottom bunk and fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

A week went by before my Daddy's trail. I would be speaking in front of thousands of people. I haven't seen my daddy since I ran away. I was scared that he would hurt me. Kevin helped me with my tie and we went to the courthouse. When we got there I began to shake. Kevin held my hand as we walked in to the courtroom. I saw my daddy's icy glare and shivered. Kevin noticed and bent down so that he was facing me.

"He can't hurt you with all of these people in here, okay?" he said gently.

I nodded and Kevin led me to a pew. The whole Lucas family and I sat down. I could feel my daddy looking at me and scooted closer to Kevin. Kevin wrapped his arm around my shoulders and glared at my daddy. I had no idea how he did it without shivering. I held my teddy close to me as the judge walked out. She talked for a few minutes and called a few people up. I recognized a few as my old neighbors. They talked about how they could hear me scream as my daddy beat me. They also talked about how they noticed the bruises on me. Then the judge called me up to the podium. I looked at Kevin who gave me a hug and urged me to go. I held my teddy tightly to my chest and got up to the podium. I had to swear on the Bible and the judge asked me a question.

"Did your daddy ever hit you?" she asked.

I gulped and looked at my daddy. He had hatred in his eyes. I looked over at the Lucas family who had love and concern in their eyes. I looked into Kevin's kind eyes and relaxed.

"Yes," I whispered.

"What did he do to you?" the judge asked.

"He…he would spank me, slap me, punch me, kick me, and even bit me once," I said in a small voice. The crowd gasped.

"Why would he do that?" the judge asked.

"Because I disobeyed him," I said. "Sometimes he did it because he wanted to."

"Give me an example of when you disobeyed your father," the judge said.

"I didn't want to sing in front of his friends because they would hit me if they hated my singing," I said. "But Daddy forced me to sing. He kicked me until I passed out."

"What else did he do to you?" the judge asked. I swallowed and looked over at Daddy. He stared me down and I shivered. "It's okay, he can't hurt you."

I nodded. "When I was little and I was learning how to potty train…" I paused and took a deep breath. "…Every time I went in my pants Daddy would stuff things up my…my…bottom and…touch my private parts. I didn't like it and told him I didn't bur he just laughed and said that was too bad."

I heard murmurs in the crowd and the judge looked at Daddy with disgust.

"Th-then he w-would take the s-stuff out of my b-bottom and stick his p-private part in me," I was crying at this point. "I d-didn't like it and begged h-him to stop but he w-wouldn't. he would j-just put d-duct tape over m-my mouth and continue to h-hurt me."

"Thank you Nicholas," the judge said. I looked over at the Lucases. All of them were crying. "That's all I need to hear. You may go sit down now."

I got off of the chair and walked back over to the Lucases. Kevin opened his arms when I sat down next to him and I leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. Joe patted my knee and looked at me with pity. The judge cleared her throat and began to speak.

"I hereby charge Mr. Cartel with sexual assault and physical abuse toward a minor," she said. "You will serve eight years in prison without parole. I grant full custody of Nicholas Cartel to the Lucas family. Case dismissed."

She banged her wooden hammer (I know what it's called but since Nick is only eight, he doesn't) and everyone began to leave the courtroom.

"No!" Daddy shouted. "YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SON AWAY FROM ME! HE'S MY SON!"

He continued to shout as the police took him away. As he was shouting I hugged Kevin who bent down and hugged me back. Then he picked me up and carried me to the car. I was on his right hip with my arms around his neck.

When we got to the Lucases house I ran upstairs and climbed into the bottom bunk. I closed my eyes and tried to get the images out of my head.

_My daddy came home swaying to and fro on his feet. He came toward me with nasty smelling breath. He grabbed my arm and led me to his room. He threw me on his bed and locked the bedroom door. Then he ripped off my pants and underwear before I could stop him. Then he touched my private part. _

_"Such a pretty boy!" Daddy commented as he looked at my body. _

_My breath quickened as he touched me again. Then he took off his own pants and underwear. He flipped me over so that I was on my stomach and held my bottom in the air. Then he stuck his private part in my bottom. I screamed as the pain shot up my body. Daddy laughed and went in and out, in and out until I could feel blood trickling down my bottom. Daddy then stopped and got some paper towels. He dabbed my bottom until it stopped bleeding. _

_"You're so beautiful," Daddy said to me. "You have the body of a god."_

_He rubbed his hands all over my body, leaving no spot untouched. Then he kicked my private part and I screamed. He continued to kick until I wished I was dead so that the pain would stop. When he finally stopped I was crying. He slapped me._

_"So pathetic!" he snarled. He then left me in his room to pick myself up._

"Nick?" I heard a voice. I opened my eyes and saw Kevin. He wiped the tears from my eyes. That's when I realized I had been crying. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Just h-having a flashback."

"About what?" Joe asked.

"My daddy," I said.

"Well, he can't hurt you anymore!" Kevin said. I sniffle and nodded.

"I know what would cheer him up!" Joe said. "Why don't I invite Stella over?"

"Who's Stella?" I asked.

"She's a friend of ours," Kevin said. "Don't worry, you'll like her. Joe, just make sure you tell her to be gentle and quiet."

"Okay," Joe said.

He ran downstairs to ask Mr. and Mrs. Lucas if Stella could come over. Kevin sat on my bed with me and ran his fingers through my hair like Mommy used to do. I closed my eyes and sighed. I liked Kevin a lot. He reminded me so much of my mommy.

Thirty minutes later I heard the doorbell ring. I opened my eyes and looked at Kevin in fear.

"Don't worry," Kevin said. "Stella's nice; you'll like her. Just to warn you, she can be kind of loud so be prepared."

I nodded. Soon a girl with blonde hair and bangs came upstairs with Joe. She had a dazzling smile and brown eyes. She smiled at me and waved. I waved in return.

"Hi," she said in a bubbly voice. "My name is Stella."

"Hi," I said shyly. "I'm Nick."

"It's nice to meet you Nick," Stella said.

She came over to me and held out her hand. I shook it lightly and withdrew my hand. Stella smiled and sat on my bed.

"Joe told me you put your Daddy in jail today," she said. "It serves him right for hurting you. If I could've gotten my hands on him, he wouldn't have any hands left to hurt you with."

I decided immediately that I liked Stella. We talked and played board games until it was time for dinner. After dinner we watched a movie with Stella. Once the movie was over she had to go home.

"It was nice meeting you Nick," Stella said.

"It was nice meeting you too," I said.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Stella said.

"See you tomorrow Stella," Joe and Kevin said.

Once Stella was gone I got in my pajamas. I said goodnight to Kevin and Joe and fell asleep. I woke up screaming though. Kevin got off of the top bunk and slid in bed next to me without another word. He wrapped his arms around me and I fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

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_One Month Later: Christmas Eve_

I've only celebrated when Mommy was alive. I was kind of excited but scared at the same time. Daddy's "present" to me was raping me. What if Mr. Lucas hurt me as a "present"? I was terrified. Then only person I really trusted was Kevin. If I stayed with Kevin, maybe Mr. Lucas wouldn't hurt me.

We were Christmas shopping. I stayed with Kevin the whole time. I held his hand as we walked through the mall. I've never been to the mall before. It was big and scary. There were so many tall people who could hurt me. I squeezed Kevin's hand tightly as we walked into the mall. Kevin squeezed back and smiled at me. Joe was on my other side, gripping my shoulder since I was holding Teddy with my other hand.

When we walked past a toy store I gasped. I had never seen so many new toys. The only toy I ever got was Teddy. I loved Teddy. Mommy gave him to me on my birthday. I couldn't imagine life without Teddy.

As we were walking Mr. Lucas "daddy" and Joe went into one store while Mrs. Lucas "Mommy", Kevin, and I went in the toy store. I couldn't get enough of the toys. I wandered around the toy store while Kevin and "mommy" followed me. I led Kevin over to a child sized guitar. I touched the strings and they made an amazing sound. I picked up the one on display and began to strum on it. "Mommy" and Kevin watched me in awe. They didn't know I could play the guitar too.

When I finished playing "mommy" and Kevin clapped. I blushed and put the guitar back. We looked around some more when I spotted a tambourine. I picked it up and handed it to "mommy."

"Get this for Joey?" I asked.

"Sure," "Mommy" said.

She paid for the tambourine and we met up with "daddy" and Joe. We ate dinner at the mall and Kevin and Joe got in line to se Santa Claus. I didn't understand why they were doing that since Santa wasn't real. I still held Kevin's hand until it was his and Joe's turn to sit on Santa's lap. I hesitated as Kevin and Joe went up to Santa. Kevin noticed and came back.

"Don't you want to see Santa?" Kevin said.

"But Santa's not real," I said.

"Don't tell Joe that," Kevin said. "He still believes. We'll keep it a secret between the two of us, okay?"

I smiled. "Okay," I said. Kevin started pulling at my hand but I stood still.

"What's wrong?" Kevin asked.

"Santa hurt me?" I asked.

"No," Kevin said. "Santa is nice. He loves kids. If you get scared just stay with me, okay?"

I nodded. We walked up to the man with the white beard and big belly. Santa made a move to put me on his lap but I gripped onto Kevin's arm. Kevin whispered into Santa's ear and Santa nodded.

"Sorry Nick," Santa said. "I didn't know you were scared of me. You know, we have the same name."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep," Santa said. "My name is also Saint Nicholas."

"Cool," I said. Santa chuckled. I liked his laugh. It was nice and kind.

Santa saw the change in my eyes.

"Would you like to sit in my lap?" Santa asked.

I looked at Joe who was on Santa's lap then nodded my head. Santa picked me up and put me on his lap. The only person's lap I have ever been in was my mommy's lap before she died. I wasn't used to it and looked at Kevin with worry. Kevin smiled at me and winked. I relaxed a little.

"What would you like for Christmas Joseph?" Santa asked him.

"A new bike!" Joe said.

Santa chuckled. "What about you Kevin?"

"A new bike for Nick," Kevin said.

Santa nodded. "What would you like for Christmas Nicholas?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"What about a guitar Nick?" Kevin asked. "You seemed to like the one in the toy store."

"Okay," I said.

"So a new bike for Joe and Nick and a guitar," Santa said.

"Yep," Kevin said.

"Okay," Santa said. "Now smile for the camera."

Santa pointed to a camera but I didn't smile, I really had nothing to smile about. Joe then made a funny face and I couldn't help but smile a little. Once the picture was done we left the mall and went home. I was exhausted. Kevin helped me get in my pajamas and got in bed with me. He knew I would have nightmares. I always had nightmares around holidays.

"Goodnight Nick," Kevin said.

"Goodnight Kevin," I yawned.

Kevin smiled and put his arm around me. I snuggled up to Kevin and instantly fell asleep.

"GUYS GUYS WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Joe shouted in our ears. I screamed and cling to Kevin. I was expecting pain but Kevin held me.

"JOSEPH!" Kevin shouted. Joe stopped screaming. "You're scaring Nick."

"Oh, sorry Nick," Joe said.

"It's okay," I said. "Why is Christmas so exciting?"

"Because of all the presents you get," Joe said.

"And because of all the presents you give," Kevin said.

"Why would we need presents?" I asked.

"Well obviously because…um…because…we just do okay!" Joe said.

Kevin and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. I went to the bathroom and we went downstairs. I was still very tired so Kevin carried me. Kevin put me down on the couch and I heard a camera flash. "Mommy" took a picture of me. They were making a big deal out of it being my first Christmas with them.

Kevin and Joe ran to the tree and I saw my guitar laying next to it. Kevin grabbed it and gave it to me. I strummed it as I watched Joe and Kevin sort the presents by name. I was surprised that I had presents. I didn't ask for anything. I randomly started playing chords and started singing.

_"Every year at Christmas  
All I can see  
Are pictures of the things I want  
Around the tree  
But this year's a little different  
I'm not thinking of myself  
So my prayer for this Christmas  
Is for somebody else_

(Chorus)  
So I pray…  
Joy To the World  
Peace for every boy and girl  
Hope when life is hard  
Light when everything seems dark

God I know you're listening  
And you can hear  
The need of every broken heart  
And all their tears  
I don't have a lot to offer  
Just this one simple prayer  
That this Christmas everyone would know  
Somebody cares…

(Chorus)  
So I pray…  
Joy To the World  
Peace for every boy and girl  
Hope when life is hard  
Light when everything seems dark

I pray that every hungry soul  
Will be filled and will be warm  
That not a single, solitary child  
Would suffer harm

And Lord we find their ending  
As we take another view  
My hope is that this Christmas prayer  
Would somehow come true

I pray…  
Humanity would rise  
And join with me  
And together we'll sing

Joy To the World (To all the world)  
Peace (Peace) for every boy and girl (for every boy and girl)  
(Talking bout hope) Hope when life is hard (when life is hard)  
Light when everything seems dark

I pray that (I pray) every hungry soul  
Will be filled and will be warm  
(Not a single child) That not a single, solitary child  
Would suffer harm

And Lord we find their ending  
As we take another view  
My hope is that this Christmas prayer  
Would somehow come true…"

When I finished singing the Lucas family clapped. I blushed and put the guitar down. I grabbed Teddy and held him to my chest as I watched Joe and Kevin finish sorting the rest of the presents. When they finished they looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, the youngest usually opens the first present," Joe said.

"You can open one first," I said.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked.

"Yeah," I said. "In fact…" I ran to the present I helped wrap for Joe. "…Open this one first."

"Okay," Joe said.

He opened the present from me and gasped.

"How did you know I loved loud instruments?" he asked as he shook it.

"I don't know," I said. "It was just screaming, 'Buy me for Joey; Buy me for Joey' so I did."

Joe laughed and pulled me into a hug. "You're getting a sense of humor," he said. "I like it." I smiled. "Open this one from me."

I opened the present and gasped. It was a baseball glove. I've always wanted to play baseball. I hugged Joe with all my might. Then Kevin opened a present that I picked out for him. It was an amp for one of his electric guitars. He smiled and hugged me.

After that I sat on Kevin's lap for the rest of the time. I got lots of toys and games that I've never even heard of. I liked the puzzles the most. They looked like they would be fun to put together, I always love a challenge and those puzzles looked like a challenge.

After we opened all of our presents we played with them. I got a new teddy bear but I was still attached to Mr. Teddy. No one could take him away from me.

Soon it was time for bed. Kevin read me a story form one of the new books I got and I fell asleep pretty quickly. I woke up and realized I had to use the bathroom. I was scared to go because Daddy would hurt me if I went at night. But I really had to go. I looked up at Kevin's bunk and saw that he was asleep. I sighed. This was going to be a long night.

**The song Nick sings is called a Christmas Prayer by Nick Jonas.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Nick's POV:**

When I woke up I realized that my bed was wet. I jumped out of bed and looked over at Kevin. Kevin was still asleep and so was Joe. I ran to my clothes and changed quickly so that no one would realize I had wet the bed. _Wait!_ I thought to myself. _They'll see the wet spot on the sheets! Oh no! They're gonna hurt me! I have to get out of here before they hurt me!_

"Nick?" Kevin mumbled. I froze. Kevin smiled when he saw me. He hopped out of bed and saw the wet spot on my sheets. "Uh oh, did you have an accident?" I nodded, fear on my face. "It's okay; accidents happen." Kevin stepped toward me and I backed into a wall. I curled up into a ball and begged Kevin not to hurt me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" I said quickly. "Please don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kevin said. "You should know that by now." Kevin made another move toward me and I screamed. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you. Come here Nick," he said gently while holding out his arms.

I trembled but noticed Kevin didn't make a move toward me. After a few minutes I relaxed and slowly made my way to Kevin. Kevin gently wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug. He then kissed the top of my head as Joe entered. Joe saw the wet spot on my bed and realization appeared on his face.

"Why was Nick screaming?" Joe asked.

"He thought I was going to hurt him," Kevin explained.

"We would never hurt you Nick," Joe said. "Never!"

I nodded my head and sniffled. Kevin pulled me closer to him. Then "Mommy" came upstairs and saw the wet spot on my bed. I felt tears well up as she looked at me. She came over to me and I began to shake. She was going to hurt me, I knew it. I buried my face in Kevin's chest, begging him to protect me. "Mommy" put her hand on my shoulder and I flinched.

"I won't hurt you," she said. "It was an accident. It's okay to have accidents."

"R-Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," "Mommy" said. "It's normal. I'll just change the sheets. No harm done."

She left and I relaxed in Kevin's arms. Soon "Mommy" changed the sheets and told me I could go to the bathroom any time a t night if I felt like I had to go. I nodded and she left. Kevin and I went downstairs and ate breakfast. Then Stella came over and we talked a bit. I told her some things that my Daddy did to me and she said she wanted t rip his head off. I couldn't help but laugh. It was nice to know that people cared about me.

At dinnertime I was silent. For once I left Teddy in my room. I felt uncomfortable at the table without Teddy but everyone seemed to be proud that I left him upstairs. After dinner I went upstairs to find that Teddy was gone. I screamed and Kevin, Joe, "Mommy," and "Daddy" came running upstairs. I tossed pillows aside, looking for my prized possession. I started hyperventilating and fell to the floor. Joe rushed to my side and put my hand on his chest.

"Do you feel my chest going up and down?" Joe asked. I nodded. "Try to breathe like my chest."

I focused my mind on breathing and was soon able to calm down. Tears started cascading down my cheeks and I started wailing. Kevin came over and held me like Joe was doing. They both held me closely as I cried. I had a feeling I knew who took Teddy. When I had stopped crying I turned to "Mommy" and "Daddy."

"W-where is h-he?" I asked. They both looked at me in confusion. "WHERE'S TEDDY?"

"Sweetie," "Mommy" said. "You're too old to be carrying a teddy bear around with you everywhere."

"MOM!" Kevin said in shock. "YOU took his teddy away from him?"

"Honey," Mom said. "He's too old for it. If he promises not to carry it around with him everywhere, I will give it back to him."

"NO!" I shouted. "GIVE HIM TO ME NOW!"

"Mommy" and "Daddy" left and I burst into tears. Why would they take Teddy away from me? Kevin and Joe comforted me the3 best they could. I finally trusted Joe completely. He obviously didn't like the fact that his parents took Teddy away from me. Joe finally managed to make me laugh when he "accidentally" ran into a wall. Then Joe gave me a picture to color in. it was a picture of a teddy bear that looked a lot like Teddy. I colored it in so that it looked just like Teddy. I slept with the picture clutched to my chest that night. I didn't get much sleep though. Joe stayed awake with me, telling me stories about Teddy's journey back to me. I finally managed to doze off in Joe's arms.

I suffered without Teddy for a whole week, barely getting enough sleep. I didn't even look at "Mommy." Finally I caved and said I wouldn't go out in public with Teddy anymore. "Mommy" left and soon returned with Teddy. I fell to the ground with Teddy in my arms and cried in his artificial fur. Then Kevin came downstairs with an angry look on his face.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO NICK?" Kevin shouted at "Mommy." I've never seen Kevin so angry before and it scared me. "THAT TEDDY BEAR IS THE ONLY THING HE HAS LEFT OF HIS BIRTH MOTHER! HOW DARE YOU TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM JUST SO THAT HE WILL STOP CARRYING IT AROUND IN PUBLIC!"

Joe came running down the stairs when he heard Kevin yell. I started crying and Joe pulled me into his arms. Kevin continued to yell, scaring me half to death.

"Kevin," Joe warned. Kevin didn't listen to him and continued yelling. "KEVIN!"

"WHAT?" Kevin shouted. I screamed and buried my face in Joe's chest. Kevin realized he had scared me and lowered his voice. "Nick, I'm sorry buddy. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just mad art my mom for taking your bear away. Come here." He opened his arms out but I shook my head, shaking from head to toe, too scared to leave Joe's warm embrace. Kevin sighed. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he went up to our room.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Joe asked. I nodded my head.

After we watched the movie it was time for dinner. I was still nervous around Kevin but sat down between him and Joe anyway; I was more scared of the parents than I was of Kevin. After dinner Joe took me up to our room and helped me with a puzzle. Kevin came up and went to his bed. I got up and walked over to Kevin with my teddy in my hands. Kevin looked at me and I climbed into his lap. I gave him a hug and he smiled. He hugged me back. A few minutes later I started yawning.

"It's time for you to go to bed," Kevin said. I nodded and climbed into my bed. Kevin and Joe came over to me and sat on my bed. "Goodnight Nick."

"Goodnight Nick," Joe said.

"Night," I yawned. Both Kevin and Joe smiled at me. I closed my eyes and fell asleep with Teddy finally in my arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**Olivsissweet:** Please leave a review! I only have one review for this story. If I don't get at least one review soon, I will delete this story.

**Nick: **Just giving you guys a heads up.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning I wasn't feeling very well. I brushed it aside as not getting enough sleep and stumbled downstairs. Joe and Kevin were already awake and smiled at me. I smiled back and ate my breakfast. I realized I wasn't very hungry but I ate as much as I could. We were going to ice skate on a lake today and I was excited. Mommy and I used to skate all the time before she passed.

The Lucases gave me ice skates and helped me bundle up. I was covered from head to toe. I had a hat on, a scarf, a heavy jacket, gloves, and waterproof pants. Finally we were all ready to go. When we got to the lake I was super excited. Joe and Kevin smiled as I rushed out of the car. They helped me get on my skates and we skated onto the ice. Kevin and Joe were holding my hands so that I wouldn't fall. Once I started to get the hang of it, they let go. They were blown away by how skilled I was. I was skating backwards and in loops. I would skate around them and laugh at their shocked expressions.

I was skating ahead of them when I suddenly heard a cracking noise. I stopped skating and listened closely. I didn't hear anything and continued to skate. Then I heard the cracking again. I started skating toward the lake's shore. I could feel the ice cracking every time I moved. Suddenly the ice below me cracked and I fell in the water.

"NICK!" Joe and Kevin shouted as they came toward me.

My body immediately went into shock from the cold water. It felt like my body was on fire. My teeth chattered almost right when I hit the water. I tried to swim but my body was going numb. Kevin crawled on his tummy and reached me. I tried to grab his hand but I was so cold and tired. I just wanted to stop swimming; it was beginning to hurt when I swam.

"Don't give up!" Kevin begged when he saw the look in my eyes. "What about Teddy? He will be all alone if you give up."

I realized Kevin was right and managed to grab his hand. Kevin gently pulled me onto the ice and I started shivering uncontrollably. Kevin dragged me to the more stable ice and stood up. Then he picked me up and carried me to the shore. I was shivering like mad as everyone cheered. "Daddy" started the car so that it would warm up for me. He came back with a blanket which I gratefully accepted. Kevin wrapped the blanket around me and picked me up again.

Soon the car was warmed up and Kevin carried me to the car. he put me in the backseat next to Joe. Joe buckled me up and we went home. When we got home Kevin carried me to the bathroom and warmed up the water for me. Then he told me to get in so that I could warm up. He left so I could have some privacy. I got undressed and climbed into the tub. The water felt good on my cold skin. Soon I stopped shivering and relaxed in the water. Suddenly my fingers and toes started to hurt. It felt like there were pins and needles in them. I held back a sob as my fingers and toes stopped being numb.

As soon as I could feel my fingers and toes I got out of the bathtub. I got dressed in some warm pajamas that Joe had laid out for me and walked to our room. Kevin and Joe smiled when I came out of the bathroom.

"Feel better?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah," I said.

Kevin led me to my bed and I got under the covers. Then Joe and Kevin got on either side of me and wrapped their arms around me. I snuggled up to Joe since he felt the warmest and closed my eyes. I held onto Teddy and soon fell asleep.

A week went by and I was having more trouble breathing. I coughed, trying to clear my windpipe but it didn't help. I started hacking and woke Kevin and Joe up. Joe came running to me and felt my forehead. He looked at Kevin with worry and Kevin felt my forehead too. He then got up and went downstairs. Moments later "Mommy" came up with a thermometer. I stuck it under my tongue and waited for it to beep. Once it beeped "Mommy" gasped.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

"It's 103.8," "Mommy" said. I suddenly started having a coughing fit and began to wheeze. "That's it; we're taking him to the hospital!"

Kevin grabbed my coat and put it on me. Then he picked me up and carried me to the car. Joe grabbed Teddy for me and joined us in the car. He gave Teddy to me and I thanked him. When we arrived at the hospital I was barely conscious. I was having more and more trouble breathing and was very scared. Kevin and the rest of the family rushed in and checked me in.

Soon a nurse came in and put me in a wheelchair. I was taken to a room and put in a bed. Then an oxygen mask was placed on my face and a needle was injected into my arm. I was very scared but was glad I could breathe easier. Soon the Lucases came in and Joe handed me Teddy. I hugged Teddy and looked at my new family with tears in my eyes. I was scared.

"It's okay," Joe said as he came up to me. He held my hand. "The doctors and nurses will help you feel better."

I nodded my head. I couldn't talk with the mask on my face so Kevin and Joe did most of the talking. They kept me occupied until I fell asleep. When I woke up they were gone but "Mommy" was still there. I got a little scared because I didn't trust "Mommy" yet. She just smiled and waved at me. A few minutes passed before I realized she wasn't going to hurt me.

Every time I would get sick, Daddy would hurt me, saying it was all my fault that I was sick. He would whip me with his belt, slap, kick, and punch me. That didn't make me feel any better obviously. That was why I was scared of "Mommy" because she may think it was my fault that I was sick. But she didn't do or say anything.

Soon a doctor came in and told "Mommy" that I had pneumonia. I knew what that was because Mommy had it once. That would explain why I was having trouble breathing. "Mommy" thanked the doctor and continued to read her book. Soon I closed my eyes and fell asleep again.


End file.
